In Any Event
by BadgebunnyUK
Summary: Picks up two years after the events of episode 2x04. A chance meeting between Caroline and Kate. Short story exploring the reasons they didn't work out and how their lives have changed. You will have to read to find out if they get their happy ending!
1. Chapter 1

**In any event.**

_**A/N- This is my first non Rizzles fan fic so it feels a bit strange but I just love this show and this couple. I cannot get enough of Caroline Elliot! Not sure how long this will be, I thought two parts but now I am thinking possibly more.**_

On days like these, not that there were many, it took a little while for Caroline to adjust, a day off, but even she was expected to take them occasionally. It had tended to be, a day off to help mum move out or to take William to University. A day off for herself was something strange to her. Caroline had been conscious of trying for the last 20 minutes of her walk,to relax a little, take in her surroundings, this wasn't a march between classrooms, it was supposed to be a gentle stroll.

That was when she saw her.

Just when she was easing up, letting go, just when she was vulnerable. She thought at first that it was her imagination, someone who had a similar look or a trick of the sunlight. It had happened before. Someone dashed in front of her eye line and then was gone as Caroline raised her hand to shield her eyes and looked again, her breath stopped.

Kate was pushing a small child in a swing, grinning with delight as the child swung back and forth, holding onto the rail of the seat and kicking her feet frantically. For a moment Kate saw only the child, the rest of the world shut out from their game and Caroline watched like a voyeur as a thousand feelings swelled within her.

It had been two years since they had last been together. Two years since Caroline had kissed goodbye to the best chance at complete happiness she thought she would ever encounter. Two long years and yet here she was and somehow it didn't seem such a surprise.

Kate's eyes suddenly darted to the frozen figure that watched her from beyond a low set of green railings, as if she had the feeling of being watched. Caroline saw a second of confusion before the wide and natural smile broke on Kate's face and a rush of relief flooded the headmistress.

They stood smiling without a word until the swing, loaded full of adorable little girl, thudded forgotten into Kate's mid section, and she bent double against the impact. Caroline chuckled as Kate shook her head at herself and straightened. Kate caught hold of the swinging seat as it came toward her this time and pulled it to a stop before reaching in and taking the little girl in her arms, unseating her and placing her on Kate's hip as she strode to the railing.

"Hello." Kate said as she reached Caroline.

"Hi." Caroline managed "She's beautiful."

She had no need to ask if the child was Kate's, she had her coloring and smile, they clearly belonged to one another.

Kate gazed at the child. "Yeah, she is. Her names Mya."

Caroline took the child's chubby little fist with three of her fingers and wriggled them playfully.

"You look so..." She had been about to say good, but realised it wasn't just that. "...Happy."

Kate's smile was smaller now, almost wistful, she sighed a little and repositioned the child at her hip. "I am." She said honestly.

Caroline nodded. "I'm glad."

So much to say and yet each sentence seemed to total so few words.

"You're not at school today?" Kate asked.

"No, I have a day off. I don't really know what to do with myself." Caroline admitted, sounding a little more lost than she had meant to.

"We could walk with you?" Kate suggested with a casual half shrug.

"Yeah...that would be...yeah...nice." Caroline replied.

As Kate carried the now squirming bundle over to a pushchair and lowered her in, Caroline wondered why she was now trembling all over, it was warm out, but she had to shake off the sudden urge to shiver and for a moment she held onto the cool metal of the railing, needing to grasp at something solid and real to ensure she wasn't in a dream.

Kate pushed Mya around to the gate of the small playground and out to the path that Caroline was on.

"You look...the same, but different." Kate said as she fell into step beside Caroline.

"I suppose I am, the same but different." Caroline smiled.

"There's been someone else." Kate stated, just the slightest hint of accusation.

Caroline's eye brows stretched into her hair. "Just a friend." She confirmed. "We see each other now and again for a bit of...fun. It's not l..."

"Love?" Kate jumped in.

Caroline took another blow of shock, she'd nearly forgotten how direct and outspoken Kate could be. "I was going to say...It's not like you and I."

Caroline turned red as soon as the words left her mouth, she looked at the pointed toes of her shoes.

"Caroline Elliot, do you have a fuck buddy?" Kate said in mock horror.

Caroline couldn't help the look she threw around them to make sure no one else was in hearing distance. Old habits.

"We call it friends with benefits." She corrected with a chuckle, holding her handbag in front of her with two hands. Once the moment of levity had passed she looked seriously at Kate.

"And you? Do you...are you...seeing somebody?"

Kate shook her head. "Single mum now." She shrugged. "Not the catch I once was, don't get out much and when I do I have usually got some baby puke in my hair or something."

Caroline grinned at the image as much as the new information.

"And is Greg the father? Does he have anything to do with...?"

"Oh, god no!" Kate frowned. "Seems you were kind of right about him, bit of a prick really. Turned out he was a bit obsessed with me, ever since Uni and he thought we could...well...it got a bit ugly in the end."

"I'm sorry." Caroline offered sincerely.

Kate was quiet for a moment, remembering how she'd felt when she had realised what a mistake it had been to involve her old friend in her baby plans, but she had been desperate, bloody minded, willing to sacrifice anything. She had wanted to go to Caroline then, one of a hundred times, but she didn't, not thinking she could handle that look of I told you so, on top of everything else.

"Well, She was worth it all." Kate said sweetly as she strained to look over the top of the pram to her little one's face.

"Hmmmmm, they are." Caroline agreed.

"How are the boys?" Kate asked curiously.

"Oh, well." Caroline began. "William is planning to take a year out and travel, which I actually think will be great for him. He has always taken everything so seriously, if he isn't careful he'll end up like me."

It was a familiar phrase, Caroline had used it before in reference to her son, but now, here, it seemed all too true. She really didn't want her kind of life for William. Didn't want him to have a similar fate.

Kate had remained quiet. "And Laurence?"

"Oh he's fine. He actually knuckled down at the last minute and did quite well in his exams so he has options, which he currently seems to be exploring...a different one every week." Caroline grumbled lightly.

They had walked slowly to the main entrance of the park and lingered there now. Caroline's stomach had tightened and she realised that this is where they would part.

"I have to get My home for her lunch." Kate explained.

"Oh sure. Don't let me hold you up." Caroline rushed.

Kate smiled sheepishly. "Only...I was wondering if you might want to pop in...for a coffee. I don't get too much adult conversation these days and it would be nice to catch up properly, if your not..."

"No..no...I mean yes." Caroline was so unaccustomed to being flustered. "Yes, thank you. I'd like a coffee."

Kate beamed. "Good." She remarked, leading the way out of the park and toward home.

Xxxxx

Caroline sipped at her coffee, it was going cold in the cup but she held it to her, reluctant to finish.

"We were supposed to go shopping today, but something came up and she had to have Emily Jane." Caroline explained of Gillian, the two had grown closer over the past two years, pushed together by their parents union and then by mutual loneliness.

"Oh, she and Mya could have had a play date." Kate crooned as she shot a glance at her daughter who was just about to fall onto her bottom, having careered into the leg of the coffee table.

Kate shot up off the chair to help the child up and check her over, before she waddled off again.

"Sorry." Kate said pulling a face. "I know I am a bit preoccupied, she's just at this stage where she thinks she can do anything but her body hasn't quite caught up to her yet."

Caroline finally drained her mug and stood up. "I should get out of you hair, I can see you're busy."

"Well." Kate stood now too, blocking Caroline's exit. "Perhaps we could do it again. Maybe one night after bed time when I could give you my full attention." She said breezily.

Caroline breathed in the nearness. She still smelled like Kate. Suddenly Caroline didn't know if she could do this and it showed on her face.

The friendly smile that Kate had fixed on her face, fell flat.

"I'm sorry Caroline." She said raggedly. "For the way it ended, for the things that I said..."

Caroline shook her head slowly. "It's in the past..."

_But it felt like yesterday._

_It had been the parting shot she would never forget. "It never really got started, just a few embarrassed fumbles."_

_She had deserved it. She had been stupid. She had put her own concerns before Kate time and time again. But how she must have hurt her to provoke this cruelty. Kate was not...she was never vindictive or malicious. Caroline had realised instantly that for her to say the things she did, Kate must have been heartbroken._

_Caroline thought of the day that she had last spoken with Kate alone. It was three months after Kate's birthday, after their doomed weekend, after they had ended. Kate had avoided her in school. They had communicated on school matters through emails and handwritten messages left on Caroline's desk. Caroline had watched her sometimes, without meaning too, across the school field, in the staff room, whenever Kate had noticed she would instantly move away. _

_"I'm handing in my notice." Kate had said as she placed an envelope on Caroline's desk, she stood behind the chair rather than sit on it. "I have been offered another job."_

_Caroline removed her glasses. "Surely there is no need for that?" She'd asked. "Your an excellent teacher Kate, we would hate to loose you. I would hate to loose y_ou _because of ..."_

_"It's self preservation Caroline. I just don't want to be here anymore." She'd said simply, her arms wrapping around her middle. "I can't be here anymore."_

_"I see." Caroline had said. Just that. Not, don't go, please stay, I'll do anything, I love you._

_Kate had turned and Caroline had watched her leave._

"I know." Kate said now, bringing Caroline back. "I know it's past, but I didn't ever say...how sorry..." A tear ran down Kate's cheek and Caroline moved to brush it away at the very same moment that Kate did, their hands meeting on Kate's cheek, Kate taking Caroline's fingers in her own and pressing them to her face.

"Me too." Caroline whispered through her own tears.

A thud across the room and the sound of Mya's cries interrupted the moment as Kate scrubbed at her face and scrambled to her daughters aid, holding the crying child closely to her as she knelt on the floor.

"I am going to go." Caroline stated. "But I do want to see you again." She stood tall. "What night do you want me to come round?"

"Errr...any...I am always here...Tomorrow?! Or is that too soon?" Kate rubbed soothing circles across Mya's back.

"Fine." Caroline confirmed. "I'll bring wine and some food, maybe we could cook together?" She suggested.

They had cooked together often, most of the life in Caroline's house had been conducted in the Kitchen. She had loved that Kitchen. She designed it herself, every inch, every implement, she had been the master of it. And for the brief time that Kate had lived with her they had spent most evenings in the kitchen, cooking, laughing. The memory of becoming so wrapped up in a kissing session with Kate that she had cremated a perfectly prepared coq au vin, surfaced without permission and Caroline flushed.

Kate nodded. "Great." Just as Mya, believing she was not getting the proper level of sympathy, began crying more loudly. "I'll see you then."

Caroline let herself out of the front door and back into what was turning out to be a lovely afternoon and felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, followed by the muffled ring tone. She spied Gillian on her caller ID and accepted the call.

"Gillian, Hi"

"Hiya, Calamity Jane has just gone off for her nap so I was wondering what you ended up doing with yourself. I felt bad having to cancel on ya."

"Oh, don't worry about it, we can do it some other time." Gillian said smoothly. "I went out for a walk and bumped into an old friend so it turned out..."

"Yeah, it's a nice day for it..." Gillian commented as she walked around the room picking up bits of toys and throwing them into a large whicker basket.

"It was Kate." Caroline said suddenly.

"What? Kate, Kate?...Your Kate?" Gillian asked surprised.

"Yes, Kate. We went for a Coffee. It was nice. She's invited me around tomorrow night." Caroline said trying to contain her excitement and quell the butterflies in her stomach.

"Bloody hell!" Gillian exclaimed. "Well...that's...that's good isn't it?" She checked.

"Yeah, I think it is." Caroline admitted. "Terrifying, but good."

Gillian shook her head and grinned into the phone, she had witnessed the devastation that Kate had caused when she left Caroline. Caroline had been strong in front of the boys, tight lipped in front of her mother, feeling some degree of resentment that her own attitudes had become so ingrained in Caroline that she was afraid to really be with Kate. Then one night she had been at the farm for a drink, it had been fairly early in their renewed friendship and they still had issues of their own to face and yet Caroline had poured it all out. Told Gillian everything, how she felt about Kate, how she had behaved, how Kate had treated her. It had been the beginning in their new relationship. Caroline had told Gillian things she had never even told Kate and believed she never would.

Xxxx

_**A/N- So, I want to get the next chapter out before Tuesdays episode...better crack on then. Thanks for reading xxx**_


	2. Chapter 2

**In any event. **

**Chapter 2.**

**A/N- A quick update ahead of tomorrows episode. I have re-watched last weeks episode about five times now (well the McElliot parts.) and I just cannot bare how sad Caroline looks in the scene with her mum after the dumping. It kills me. Fingers crossed for happier days. Speaking of which...this will get less angsty in the next chapter.**

Kate's kitchen was smaller than Caroline's, even the one at Caroline's new place was a little more spacious than this galley style one. What resulted was a funny little dance, Kate would reach past Caroline to open a cupboard and pull out another ingredient, herbs, sauces. Caroline would step behind Kate to get to the sink, her hand grazing the small of Kate's back as she did so. Kate snatched at a slice of cheese that Caroline had just cut and the taller woman smacked playfully at her hand. Kate giggled over the rim of her wine glass as she watched the taller woman find her way confidently around her domain.

Dinner over, dishes defeated in a joint effort and Kate having checked on Mya and the two women were relaxing in the living room with what was left of a bottle of wine and so far, all the difficult topics of discussion happily avoided.

Caroline was dying to kick off her heels and tuck her feet up onto the couch but she figured, since it was their first night together in two years, she should behave a little more formally, perhaps it was the wine making her feel so at home, maybe it was the company.

"What's her name?" Kate asked out of nowhere.

"Who?" Caroline looked blankly before fully registering Kate's look. "Oh, Does it matter?"

A long silence.

"Sheila, she's a deputy head at an all girls school in Bolton. We met at a conference." Caroline shrugged.

"And you felt something?" Kate pushed, careful to keep her eyes on her glass.

"Noooooh, I mean, we talked about school and we got on...I think I knew right away that she was attracted to me...there was something about her manner..." Caroline attempted to explain.

"She flirted with you." Kate provided simply.

"Yes, I suppose she did." Caroline agreed. "Then she emailed me that she was in the area, would I like to go for dinner?"

"And the rest as they say..." Kate interrupted, deciding she couldn't stand further details and moving to sit up straighter on the couch, more defensively.

Caroline was miffed, it was Kate that had asked. "You're not...? Jealous?" She asked doubtfully.

Kate rolled her eyes with a sharp sigh. "Gosh no Caroline, why would I be jealous? You slinking off to meet women for nights of fun filled, commitment free sex. Sounds terrible."

Caroline looked uncomfortable, unsure, she sipped at her wine for something to do.

"Sorry..." Kate sighed. "I shouldn't...it's been two years...people move on."

"I suppose they do." Caroline agreed. "I didn't...see anyone. For a long time after you. It's only been the last six months I have been able to even think of... And even then..." Caroline shut her eyes and pressed her hand to her head as if it pained her.

"What?" Kate asked. A softer voice, entreating, hopeful. Her fingers reaching out to touch the top of Caroline's knee.

"I compared her to you. I still do. Everytime. It's not fair really. She is very nice...just..not...you." Caroline admitted quietly, her fingers fiddling with the stem of the wine glass.

The colour rose in Kate's cheeks and she reigned in her triumphant smile, clearing her throat to ask her next question.

"And is... she open about who she is? I mean...do you sneak around behind the backs of the Independent Schools Inspectorate or are you any more comfortable with being with a woman?" Kate teased a little.

Caroline knew that this issue would come up. It had been a large factor in their break up.

"I have yet to ride on my own float in the pride parade." Caroline quipped. "But I'm done hiding...pretending. The boys know that I see someone from time to time, they know her name, but also that it's nothing serious...and I told my mother."

Kate made a noise, air huffing out of her mouth unbidden, then an apologetic look. "I'll bet your mother was ecstatic when we split up wasn't she?"

Caroline shook her head as she remembered. "No. No I don't think she was."

Celia had struggled with Kate from the start, or the fact that Kate was a woman, but she had never rejoiced in their break up. Caroline suspected that she could see how much pain her daughter was in and that she didn't want to add to that. When Caroline had casually mentioned that she was going over to Manchester to stay with a woman she had met, Celia had taken it in her stride and told her to have a good time.

"It has taken me a while Kate, but I realise now I was the only thing getting in the way of my own happiness, so concerned with what everyone else saw or would think...when it is so truly unimportant. I know you won't believe it but, losing you taught me that." Caroline stated, more boldly now.

Kate felt an actually stabbing pain in her heart, an old wound made fresh. Caroline was saying all the right things but Kate was well aquatinted with the blindness she had when it came to this woman. Caroline could say just about anything and Kate would believe it, because she so badly wanted to. Kate had to be smarter this time.

"You were always a bit of a snob." Kate moved away from the intensity. "I found it quite sexy at first."

Caroline opened her mouth wide in disbelief then clamped it shut as she thought about the statement. She shrugged.

"I can deal with that."

Kate excused herself to check on Mya.

Xxxx

"We did just about everything wrong didn't we?" Caroline remarked later as they sat face to face on Kate's comfortable sofa, the heels having finally come off.

"Do you know it was less than a year from the time of our first kiss to the last." She pointed out matter of factly, she'd clearly given it plenty of thought.

"I suppose it was." Kate agreed, trying not to look at Caroline's lips as she talked about kissing.

"And in that time, I'd been depressed, I had my marriage breakdown, I came out, to my children...to my Mother! I moved you in...you wanted a baby...We broke up three times!" She laughed a hollow laugh and clasped a hand to her mouth.

"It was too much, too fast. We knew that..." Kate offered weakly.

"I couldn't stop it though. I felt like a teenager, I wasn't interested in being practical. I didn't want to listen to reason. I was trying for once to listen to my heart...and look how that ended."

Kate looked away with a sad smile.

"I told my Mother that I'd blown it with you and when she asked me why? I said because I was just no good at things, sometimes. But that wasn't true, I'm Caroline bloody Elliott, I was good at everything, studying, my career, being a mum, a daughter...even being a wife...I was good to John throughout the marriage. ... It was just _us_, I was bad at, the first thing really that I failed miserably at." Caroline made a face and avoided Kate's eyes, letting her head fall back and looking at the ceiling.

"With John, with my other relationships...I'd been in the driving seat, always. I called the shots, I told him what he could do, when he could do it...I even told him when would be a good time to ask me to marry him."

"Really?" Kate chuckled despite being unsurprised.

"Oh yeah. And then... With you, I tried to be in charge again, I thought I could just slot you neatly into my existing life. But it didn't work. You wanted things from me...things I couldn't give you. I wanted to...I wanted those things too..."

"You weren't ready." Kate said. "You told me that, but I thought you'd get there because I needed you to. Because I was running out of time."

"Bad timing then? Is that what it was?" Caroline wondered allowed, wouldn't that be an easy answer. Easy on them both.

"Perhaps. That was some of it. Sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time." Kate shrugged. "You want different things."

"Times have changed." Caroline said, watching Kate carefully.

"They have." Kate nodded. "I've got Mya now...I have to think about her...I have to put her first...before my own ha..."

"Happiness." Caroline jumped in, an echo of a conversation they had had so long ago. "I understand." She started, dejectedly.

"If we were to ...if we tried ...again...it would have to be different." Kate said steadily.

"Yes, it would." Caroline said, shifting closer, closing the gap.

"I don't think I could go through that again...it nearly finished me last time Caroline." Kate said tearily. "I was so angry with you for hurting me...for screwing it up."

Caroline moved closer and held Kate's face in her palm. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Kate...

It was never my intention to hurt you."

Kate swallowed a sob before it could emerge. "You have to be really, really sure...

and we have to go slow...get to know each other again, make sure that it's what we both want."

"I should leave the marriage proposal for the time being then...is that what you're saying?" Caroline teased, and felt Kate's laughter against her chest as she held her close. Caroline ran her hand over Kate's thick black locks.

"I'd like another chance." She whispered softly and felt the woman she held nodding in reply.

Xxxxx

_**A/N- Thank you so much to everyone who followed/faved and especially reviewed the first chapter, I try and reply to folks individually normally but I am crazy busy at the moment so Thanks to you all. xxx**_


	3. Chapter 3

In Any Event.3

_**A/N- Hey all, I am almost more excited about tomorrows episode than I am about the rest of the Christmas celebrations all put together...but anyway. Thanks to everyone for reading and for the reviews! **_

_P.S- to the Guest who accused me of deleting their review...I never saw it, I can only assume that you didn't log it properly in the first place? I welcome constructive criticism as it is the only way I can improve my writing, so I invite you to post it again. (if you are still reading?) And maybe becoming a member would help?_

_xxx_

"So you're back together then, just like that?" Gillian asked in surprise.

"No. I didn't say that. We are going to take things slowly and see how it goes, it's how we should have done it the first time round." Caroline said seriously.

"So you're dating? How sweet." Gillian said happily.

"Quite. So, I have to find out what you do for fun with a toddler these days, which is why I called you." Caroline said, getting quickly down to business.

"Right, you have to win the kid over when you wanna get into a single mum. It always used to work with me if someone showed an interest in our Raff." Gillian nodded sensibly.

"You make it sound so mercenary, I just want to take Kate and Mya out for the day and give the three of us a bit of quality time together." Caroline explained.

"Well, Emily Jane likes a country pub, helping m' Dad and Harry do a crossword with a packet of crisps...but...she had a funny start, bless her." Gillian joked.

Caroline smiled but rolled her eyes unseen into the phone as she sat at her desk.

"No...I mean, Ellie's mam is always taking her to them soft play centres, you know the ones...always got stupid name's like Crazy Kid Land or Monster Mayhem." Gillian suggested. "Or...you could take her to the Zoo or an Aquarium? Does Kate like fish? There's that huge one over in Hull..."

"Hull?!" Caroline exclaimed, taking her glasses off and pinching at the bridge of her nose.

"Relax Caroline, I was suggesting a visit, not that you move there." Gillian grinned.

"Well, no...I'm sure it's very..." Caroline began to backtrack.

"Caroline." Gillian said now, sensing her friends increased stress levels. "It doesn't have to be anything extravagant does it, just keep it simple, go to the park, feed the ducks, take a picnic. It'll be lovely." She said cheerily.

Caroline sighed. "You're right. Keep it simple. Why didn't I think of that."

"Well, you know me...I always was a cheap date." Gillian remarked.

"I'd better go." Caroline told her friend as a knock sounded at her office door.

"Okay...Caroline..." Gillian called quickly.

"Yes?" The headmistress asked.

"I am chuffed to bits for you, y'know? For both of you." Gillian said with an ear splitting grin that Caroline could almost hear through the phone.

"I know...Thanks." Caroline said, meaning it and hanging up feeling a little calmer.

Xxxx

Caroline strolled beside Kate who guided an empty pushchair along the path behind her, only slightly, wobbly daughter. Mya seemed to need to keep the pace up in order not to falter and so steamed ahead of the two women. Caroline watched her nervously, visions of the child falling face first, plaguing her. Kate seemed relaxed enough, being more sure of her little ones abilities and tremendous good luck in avoiding falls.

"She's fast." Caroline commented, watching Mya carefully.

"She is, we're going to have to try and keep up." Kate said fondly.

"You seem to do alright." Caroline praised moderately.

"Yeah, most of the time. I thought I'd be knackered, you know? Being a slightly older mum." She shrugged slightly. "But she's given me a new lease of life, I guess. Seeing the world through her eyes, showing her new things, I feel like a kid again sometimes." Kate admitted.

Caroline was thoughtful, watching her feet for a moment. "I was knackered when I had the boys, but it was wonderful. I can't believe they aren't children anymore, they grow so quickly."

The path they followed wound around now to a large duck pond, sections of which were lined with a railing and other sections were left open, with a small wooden platform for people to use to feed the ducks.

"Mya? You want to go and feed the duckies?" Kate called.

The tot slowed a little then turned. "Quack quack!"

Kate pointed toward the pond and angled the push chair off to the side where she abandoned it now, coming around to take Mya's hand. Mya tugged at Kate to hurry her as they approached the wooden pier, Caroline lagging behind with her small bag of broken up and slightly stale bread.

The ducks saw people coming and quickly came to meet them, proud necks stretching in greeting. Caroline took out a hand full of crumbs and tossed them into the water, creating a swarm of the waterbird, bill's drawn dangerously at one another, the larger specimens having first dibs and some of the smaller creature's sneaking stealthily to pick off food from the edge of the area, before speeding away with their prize. When was the last time Caroline had taken time out to do something as simple as this? Probably back when her boy's would have been interested.

"My!" The mini Kate stepped a little closer to Caroline now and boldly thrust her small hand up to receive some bread.

Caroline smiled and bent to offer the child one of the more sizeable pieces of bread.

Mya took the bread and then proceeded to fling her short arm out dramatically as she put all her energies into hurling the food to the waiting ducks. It fell at her feet and she glared at it sourly, the hint of a pout forming.

Kate had to stifle a giggle as one of the pushier, more impatient ducks decided to head out of the water and on to the pier close by them in search of his meal. Caroline pushed the fallen piece of bread toward the waddler with the pointed toe of her impractical, but very appealing, looking shoe. He snatched at it and flopped ungraciously back into the water.

"My!" Mya repeated, looking up at her mother now for support.

Kate dropped to Mya's level and smiled with encouragement. "Come on Mya."

Caroline relinquished responsibility of the bread bag, handing it over to Kate as she straightened and pulled her jacket a little tighter around herself, taking in the sight of the greying sky.

Caroline spotted a slightly older couple with a young boy who was a couple of years older than Mya and she assumed that they were the boys grandparents. The thought hit her then, that they may think that she was a grandmother, Mya's Grandmother, she was pretty certain she didn't look young enough to be the mother of a toddler and she felt a little nausea and heat wash over her as the familiar concern of how she must look reared it's ugly head.

Caroline reminded herself that what was important to her now was how Kate felt about her, not what others thought and certainly not, what assumptions or judgments may cross the mind of someone she may never meet again. It helped.

The trio of strangers were walking a path right past Caroline and she wanted to look away and ignore them but couldn't help a glance at their expressions as they reached her. The woman was watching Mya and Kate with an almost enchanted look as she caught Caroline's eye and grinned.

"She's gorgeous!" The Grandma called.

"Yeah." Caroline agreed automatically. "Thanks."

Kate, who had her back to the passers by looked up at Caroline and smiled genuinely.

Caroline didn't know why she was thanking anyone, She wasn't responsible for Mya's gorgeousness, she had only just met the child, it was just what you did. But for a moment she let herself consider what she could be to Mya. What she could be to Kate. The idea that they could be a family. The kind of family that Grandma's happily admired in the park. Suddenly it actually seemed possible. And the thought made Caroline dizzy.

Kate managed to assist Mya in getting most of the bread into the pond water and only a few pieces remained ignored on the wooden landing, many of the ducks having had their fill and floated lazily away, the picture of indifference.

Caroline felt the first few spots of rain on her cheek's and turned to Kate. "We better find somewhere under cover to eat."

Xxxxxxx

Mya ignored the piece of strawberry that Caroline held out to her and took a step back toward her mother.

"I'm not sure she likes me." Caroline muttered.

"What makes you say that?" Kate asked, curious but untroubled by Caroline's insecurity.

"I was never very popular with children. My own yes, but other peoples little one's." Caroline shook her head firmly.

"You run a school." Kate pointed out, popping one of the half strawberry's into Mya's open mouth.

"Yes, and I'm well respected, by the older pupils, most of the younger ones just fear me, which is fine. But I was never really popular . You know, some of the girls were in tears the day you left school. They all loved Miss McKenzie." Caroline finished in a mock wistful voice.

Kate blushed slightly. "They were good kids, and teenage girls cry for anything, don't you remember?"

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Being a teenage girl with a crush on her favourite teacher?" She asked. "Of course I do!"

Kate let loose a short but loud laugh. "Me too." She grinned cheekily. "Anyway, Mya is careful about choosing her friends, best plan to keep her happy is to keep me happy, that and the chocolate buttons you brought for her should do the trick."

"So, buy her affection with chocolate is your advice.?" Caroline checked.

"Yeah, and just in-case you wondered, that usually works with her mum too." Kate assured Caroline, flashing her a sexy smile that hit Caroline somewhere beneath her ribs.

Caroline narrowed her eyes but smiled wildly as she watched Kate touch a napkin to Mya's berry stained face before straightening the little girls duffel coat.

xxxxx

Caroline was perched on the concrete top step of the bandstand, her arms wrapped around her knees that were pulled up to her chest. She was becoming slightly hypnotized by the sheet of rain thrashing down all around them, they were surrounded, the only options, make a dash for it and get soaked or wait it out. The whole day had been a wash out, maybe it was an omen.

Kate stood up from where she had been crouched, fastening Mya's raincover to her pushchair.

"She's asleep." Kate said in her quiet voice as she took a seat beside Caroline, letting her arm bump lightly against Caroline's.

"I'm sorry." Caroline offered miserably.

"What for? Even you can't control the British weather!" Kate laughed.

"It was fine this morning...sunny even." Caroline complained.

"Don't worry about it, we can do it another time...and the food was lovely." Kate reasoned.

"I wanted it to be perfect." Caroline admitted regretfully.

"Well, I hate to disappoint you then...days out with a one year old, very rarely run to plan. Doesn't mean they can't be perfect though." Kate said offering Caroline a coy lopsided smile.

Caroline let her fingers find Kate's and ran her thumb lightly into the soft dip of Kate's palm, she couldn't take her eye's off the beautiful woman.

"I see what you mean." She smiled, a sigh of relief escaping as Kate let her head fall onto Caroline's shoulder.

xxxx

"Are you going to come in for a coffee?" Kate asked hopefully as she placed the still sleeping child on a cushion in the corner of the sofa.

Mya had managed to remain asleep the whole way home, despite the driving rain and being taken from pushchair to car seat to house, in the way that only small children can.

Caroline struggled to get the car seat through the door and placed it on the floor just inside the hall.

"Better not," She replied. "I need to get out of these wet things."

"Hmmm, there's a thought." Kate mumbled quietly, yet loud enough to cause a blush worthy of a school girl rather than the headmistress, across Caroline's cheeks. Kate straightened and grinned at the sight, as she returned to Caroline.

"Thank you." She offered. "For today, it was really nice. Mya had fun and I..."

"Can I kiss you?" Caroline asked in a whisper, already leaning close.

"No." Kate said with a slight shake of her head but a creeping smile.

"Right..." Caroline stopped.

"_I'm_ going to kiss _you_..." Kate informed her.

Kate stepped into Caroline, taking her hands in her own and placing them behind Caroline's back to render her, both unable to reach out for Kate and unable to escape.

Kate's eyes fell shut only seconds before her lips met Caroline's, the taller woman feeling the intake of breath as Kate pressed against her lightly.

Kate took Caroline's bottom lip between her own lips and pulled away, dragging it lightly with her, then returning for another kiss and then another, Just as Caroline began to reciprocate with equal fever, Kate withdrew slightly and placed a finger over Caroline's lips.

Caroline looked questioningly at the other woman, who made her feelings plain with a raised brow and eyes that said that she was in charge here. Kate released her grasp on Caroline's hands and waited to see the blonde dutifully leave them where they were. For which, Kate rewarded her with another soft slow kiss, this time slipping her tongue inside Caroline's mouth. At which point Caroline couldn't hold back any longer and she threw her arms around Kate as they began to battle for the rights to each other.

Caroline's phone chirped loudly and although both women ignored it, much too caught up in the moment, the sleeping infant suddenly stirred and made a grumpy sound of protest. Kate pulled away and Caroline froze, the phone suddenly went silent. Both women were breathing hard and as they turned to one another now they began to giggle.

Caroline pulled Kate lightly toward her with one hand in hers and planted another soft kiss.

"I should go." She began gently. "But would you come over to me next time? Sunday dinner? You could bring My, I'll childproof the place" She offered, a little giddy at the prospect.

Kate looked slightly concerned. "Sunday dinner?" She asked. "Isn't that a bit...? Who'll be there Laurence? ...your mum?"

Caroline shook her head quickly. "No, no! Laurence is at his Dad's, it would be just us. The three of us."

Kate brightened. "Oh, I see."

"I'd like to show you my new place." Caroline admitted meekly.

Kate nodded and stepped up on her toes to drop a kiss on Caroline's nose, still holding onto her hand. "Okay, that sounds nice."

xxxxx

_**A/N- Next chapter, Caroline and Kate get down and dirty on the farm! Think about that and have yourself a merry little Christmas!**_


	4. Chapter 4

In any event 4

_A/N- Hey, I started writing this just after the series finale and it turned into a bit of a therapy session, so I am sorry if it goes on a bit in parts and is less frolicsome than I had intended. I have a bit more of an outline for where I want this story to go now and it will involve a little more angst, strictly healthy levels only! For frilly frolics check out my M rated fic x_

"Hi Gillian, it's me...I missed your call...?" Caroline informed, distracted by the sight of Kate in her peripheral vision, being led into the kitchen by a curious Mya, clearly in search of where their host had disappeared to.

"Caroline? Oh right, it was nothing, well...it doesn't matter now...Shit! Hang on." Gillian sounded flustered.

Caroline could hear only the muffled sound of the phone being discarded and she popped the call onto speaker phone as she turned to put her roast potatoes and veg into the oven, glancing at Kate with a quiet smile which Kate returned almost shyly.

"Oh, no...Yeah...Caroline...I might have to call you back..." Gillian's voice sounded distant and Caroline heard the sound of an angry horn in the background.

"I hope you're not on the phone whilst driving that tractor again!" Caroline warned, a hint of Dr Elliot creeping into her voice.

"No... Prick!...not you Caroline, ...I'm pulling over... Ha,try and get around me now dickhead! "

Kate frowned at the repeated bursts of loud horn, blaring in the background of the call as the loud engine noise cut out and a more relaxed voice came back much more learly down the phone line.

"Hi." Gillian sighed. "Sorry, I was just calling to see if you knew my Dad was, well...really I am trying to get hold of Raff but he isn't answering his phone and Dad is usually the best way to get in touch with him..." Gillian trailed off.

"Oh, no, not sure where Alan is, or mum, I assumed they were at home today or with you... I am just making dinner.." Caroline answered while popping a bottle of wine into the fridge.

"No...oh..bollocks...you were having Kate around this aft for "_Sunday dinner"" _Gillian said the last in a slow suggestive manner that caused Kate to giggle quietly.

"Yeah, she's here now...and your on speaker phone actually, so behave yourself." Ordered Caroline not unkindly.

"Ooooops, sorry." Gillian called. "Anyway, it was nothing really." She sighed heavily. "I'll let you get back to it."

Caroline frowned and looked to see if Kate had detected the worrying change in tone from her friend. Kate shrugged questioningly.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Caroline asked finally abandoning her expert multi tasking in favor of listening to the woman on the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, just been a rough day, that's all...was hoping Raff could come home and give me a hand...I've got two sheep with foot rot who need taking care of, half of the other sheep need separating to check for any signs of it, about a hundred repairs on the fence and the whole farm needs checking to make sure there are no hazards that they might be cutting themselves on, it's gonna be dark in a few hours and Ellie's mam is about to drop off Calamity...can't keep her for the night of course. Raff probably knows that...probably why he's not answering his phone." Gillian said miserably.

Caroline's face twisted into a thoughtful frown as she struggled to think of any way she could help.

"Well, we could help." Kate's voice said clearly, surprising both Caroline and Gillian.

Caroline turned to her questioningly as Kate released Mya's hand and the tot waddled back into the living room having quickly lost interest in them both.

"Yeah, we could at least come over and keep... Calamity? company for a while...I don't know if either of us would be much use to you with the other stuff." Kate admitted, speaking to Gillian but the tipping of her chin in Caroline's direction seeming to issue a challenge to the blonde.

"Naaahh, no. I couldn't let you do that!" Gillian protested.

"No. She's right." Caroline said definitely. "We'll come over. We can't make thing's any worse and I'll try mum in the meantime."

"You can't, you're making dinner...you're ...y'know...wooing her!" Gillian said in a loud whisper into the phone.

This time she heard Kate's giggle and cringed as she imagined (quite accurately) the unimpressed expression that Caroline was giving the phone.

"We wont be long." Caroline said shortly, about to hang up as she heard Gillian call.

"Don't forget to wear your wellies."

Xxxx

Caroline drove the long road that she had become quite familiar with over the last couple of years, half listening to the CD of nursery rhyme's that Kate had transferred from her car to Caroline's before they set out on their journey.

"It's beautiful out here." Kate said as she watched Caroline's eye's sweep over the wide open hills and swooping valley's of the landscape.

Caroline nodded, taking her eyes off the road for only a moment as she allowed herself a glance at Kate.

"It is...today. It's ever changing. Some days I drive up here and it feels like I am a part of something alive, natural, dazzling. Other day's it's like nature itself turns its back on you, everything looks hard, bleak, you feel completely alone, surrounded by nothingness."

Caroline had become lost in her thoughts and Kate watched her quietly.

"Sorry." Caroline said, suddenly self conscious and feeling the pink rise in her cheeks.

"Don't be." Kate reassured. "I want you to be able to share how you're feeling with me Caroline."

Caroline offered up a weak smile and felt her grip on the steering wheel tighten.

"I like your new place." Kate stated, rescuing Caroline with a change in subject.

"Do you?" Caroline's smile was back in full force.

"Yeah, I mean, the last place was beautiful and very impressive, anyone would love it. But the new place just seems warmer, more intimate, you get more of a sense of...you. I guess."

"Well, it's smaller...but yes I have been able to put more of my own stamp on it. Laurence is hardly ever home so he keeps all of his paraphernalia to his room." Caroline said.

"Does he stay with John a lot?" Kate asked with interest.

"No, I mean, from time to time, it depends if Judith is around, he hates her."

"She are John are still on and off?" Kate questioned.

"Mostly off, but yeah. No, Laurence stays with mum and Alan a lot, he get's spoiled there and he gets on well with Alan. Plus he stays with Angus and other friends. I think he misses William, though he would never admit it." Caroline sighed. "But he is growing up so much too."

xxxx

"Well if it isn't Kim Tate, come back to home farm!" Gillian called as she took in the sight of Caroline, her brand new Hunter wellies and immaculate hair and clothes.

Caroline sent a confused look Kate's way and caught her amused glow.

"She was in Emmerdale." Kate informed. "Nevermind."

"Are those Jodphurs?" Gillian asked as she reached them.

"I got them for a riding trip with school, they fit in the wellies...what?" Caroline asked indignantly as the women in front and the one beside her struggled to contain their giggles.

"You must be Kate." Gillian said, boldly sticking out a hand to shake Kate's in welcome. "Thanks for coming, for offering to help."

"You're welcome, I was curious to see the farm, truth be told, and to meet you, Caroline has spoken about you a lot." Kate informed her.

"Jesus, I hope not. Don't believe a word of it." Gillian joked. "And this must be Mya. She's gorgeous, she looks just like you." Gillian remarked, to which Caroline quirked an eyebrow. "Come on inside and get a cup of tea, meet Calamity, before I put you to work."

They followed Gillian into the house, Kate looking around at the countryside setting with an approving smile.

Xxxx

Kate had volunteered to stay at the house with the girls, it seemed the obvious choice, although she was a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to do some of the farm work and even more unhappy that she would not be seeing Caroline getting stuck in, as she knew she would be. Caroline always threw herself completely into any task she was assigned, no matter what it was.

Calamity was initially somewhat wary of the new visitors to the house, not least of Mya, she had seemed to be letting the slightly smaller girl know that this was defiantly her territory, but as soon as that had been established and with Mya's obvious interest and admiration in the older girl they had been getting on well and were now sitting on the rug taking various toys out of a box and setting each one out, Calamity naming some of them importantly as she did so.

Kate heard a key in the door and stood up just in time to see Celia and Alan coming into the room.

"Kate!" Alan called happily. "We didn't expect to see you here."

"It's you." Celia said, turning pale.

"Yes, it was last time I checked." Kate said with a wry smile at the shocked looking woman.

"But that's our Caroline's car..." Celia stated.

"Yeah, I was with Caroline when she got a call from Gillian, who needed a hand with some sick sheep and as she was looking for someone to watch Emily Jane...I thought..."

Alan ushered Celia into the room and she sat on the sofa looking now at the two toddlers playing together on the rug.

"I didn't realise that you and Caroline were still in touch...I knew you left the school..." Celia said seemingly still in a state of shock.

"We bumped into each other again recently and we have...met up ...a couple of times." Kate trailed off, deciding it wasn't really her place to tell Celia what was going on between herself and her daughter, especially being that they hadn't fully established that themselves yet.

"Well, it is lovely to see you again." Alan told her kindly.

"She's yours!" Celia said suddenly, as if perhaps Kate hadn't realised.

"Yes, she is. Her name's Mya." Kate replied, smiling proudly and giving her daughter a little wave as she looked over at the sound of her name.

"Oh well she is a lovely little thing!" Alan said. "And Calamity seems to have taken to her already. Look at that. She doesn't get much time with other children her age." Alan patted Celia's hand reassuringly. "Now why don't you head up and find Caroline, they could probably do with another set of hands, Celia and I will watch the girls."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, taking another look at her daughter to ensure she was truly settled.

"Oh yes! Don't you worry, I am a dab hand with little girls these days." Alan assured Kate. " I'll put the kettle on." He said to Celia who sat still, staring slack jawed at the child who was unmistakably Kate's.

Xxxxx

Alan had told Kate where she could find some spare wellies and an overall that she supposed belonged to Gillian's son or an employee, she guessed that the farm must have workers during lambing season, it was a generous fit. Kate could see the landrover with the trailer attached to it in one of the far fields and she made her way over, feeling almost buoyant, who knew that the prospect of getting her hands dirty would have been so exhilarating.

Gillian was laughing uncontrollably and clutching her middle as Caroline struggled to get a particularly stubborn ewe into the trailer.

"You are supposed to be helping!" Caroline said sharply as she nudged the woolly creature with her knee, almost tumbling off the ramp as the ewe side stepped and hopped off and away from the entrance.

"Sorry..." Gillian said trying to get her breath. "You can leave her...I didn't really need her moving, she's impossible to get on the trailer, I just thought it would be funny to see you try!" Gillian swiped at the tears of laughter which had seeped from the corners of her eyes, but sobered up drastically when she saw the look on Caroline's face.

Caroline advanced on Gillian menacingly, sending the smaller woman racing backwards on her heels and tripping over her feet to land on her arse in a particularly muddy patch of field. Caroline smiled smugly and offered Gillian her hand to haul her back up with a delightful burst of laughter.

"Looks like I've been missing out on all the fun." Kate said now as she reached the women.

Caroline turned quickly to see Kate standing watching her.

"Yeah, we were just..."

"Finished here." Gillian spoke up.

"Your mum and Alan turned up and sent me over to help." Kate explained.

"Oh great, well if the two of you can head back up to the pen, check they're all settling in nicely, I'm gonna go repair a fence and I'll meet you back up in the barn, you can help me bathe the feet on them two." Gillian said moving around to pull open the door of the trailer.

As Caroline strolled bedside Kate back up to the farm buildings she boldly took hold of her hand and slightly swung their linked arms back and forth as they strolled.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "My mum wasn't awful was she?"

Kate grinned. "I don't think she was thrilled to see me, but no, she wasn't awful and Alan was there, as ever, to act as the Celia buffer, I had forgotten what a sweetheart he was, he always made me feel welcome."

Caroline squeezed at Kate's hand momentarily. "I know not many of us did." Admitted Caroline shamefully.

"Gillian's nice." Kate said, moving swiftly on. "The two of you seem to get on well."

"Yeah." Caroline nodded. "We do. We shouldn't really, you know?...on paper. We are very different but...I suppose now, we have been thrown together, we're family, we've shared things." Caroline confessed.

They walked in a thoughtful and comfortable silence up to the barn via the sheep pen and Caroline wondered idly if she should buy a farm, it was so peaceful, apart from the racket the sheep made when the were being moved en masse, but even that was quite a pleasant sound.

Xxxx

They waited for Gillian in the barn as she had asked, seated together upon a wall made of hay bales. Caroline still held Kate's hand and turned it over in her own to examine Kate's palm, tracing the lines written there.

"I know it seemed harsh when we finished...I know you tried to tell me you were sorry..." Kate began shakily, out of nowhere.

"That's not important now.." Caroline cut in.

"It is...I need you to know, how it was." Kate sounded resolute.

"Alright." Caroline agreed. Very unsure about whether she wanted to hear this or not.

"For months, Caroline, for months before we even kissed, I had spent the larger part of my day thinking about you." Kate admitted easily, ignoring Caroline's raised brow. "I took the route around corridors at school based on which way was most likely to have me cross paths with you, I invented reasons to come and see you, about the choir, about anything... And when things finally started to happen...I was...crazy...I was crazy about you...you knew that." Kate shook her head before she continued.

"I fooled myself into thinking that the things that were happening were about us...my moving in, was really about pushing John out and sticking your fingers up to your mum..." Kate said quickly, as if, like a plaster removal, it would hurt less.

Caroline's protest died on her lips.

"Asking me to buy into the house was the same...the only way you wouldn't loose it, wouldn't loose face." Kate said sadly. "It wasn't about wanting to make a home with me, though I stupidly tried to tell myself it was."

Caroline's face burned with shame and she saw a tear slip from the corner of Kate's eye.

"And then, when it came to the baby..." Kate took a deep breath. "I knew your heart wasn't in it. I was already _so_ angry with you about the hotel fiasco and then the way you reacted to Greg was just..." Kate's voice trembled and she cleared her throat.

"I said that day, that I would have done anything for you...but I lied." Kate looked directly at Caroline now. "I would have given up my job,my home, everything else, but I decided that day, I wouldn't give up my last chance to have a child...I chose her...the possibility of her... And I'm not sorry that I did. If we had stayed together then...I might not have her..." Kate looked almost fearfully into Caroline's face.

"I understand." Caroline said, nodding as she reached out to cover Kate's hand's with her own. "That's as it should be." Caroline assured. "And perhaps if I had shown you how much you meant to me at the time, you wouldn't have been so insecure... You might have felt you could trust me."

Kate's face creased, had she really not trusted Caroline? The blonde reached a hand up to caress her cheek.

"I want you to trust me now." Caroline vowed earnestly.

Kate's reply was to push her hand up into Caroline's hair and as Caroline tilted her jaw, her eye's fluttering shut at Kate's touch, Kate brought her lips down to meet hers. Kissing her softly, tenderly. Caroline felt it in her stomach, and in her chest, she thought she might forget to breathe.

Their kisses became more insistent, more heated and before Caroline knew what was happening her hands were inside Kate's borrowed overalls, searching for skin, finding it and then seeking out Kate's breast. Kate pushed into Caroline's touch and gasped, moving both hands to Caroline's shoulders and pushing her back against the hay, throwing one long leg over Caroline and settling herself in position straddling the blondes lap.

"I trust you." Kate breathed now. Why wouldn't she? It was all she had ever wanted.

Lips crashed together and hands roamed and neither woman noticed the creak of the barn door or the clearing of a throat.

"Don't mind me ladies, but I just have to get to the effected sheep." Gillian called out casually as she strode across the barn, trying not to look directly at the scene and making some effort not to laugh.

There was a slightly delayed reaction of sitting to attention once Kate and Caroline had untangled themselves from each other and now Caroline sat with a horror stricken look on her face, until she dared to glance first at Kate and then Gillian's clearly amused expressions and allowed herself to smile at the situation.

"Well at least you weren't my mother." She spoke up finally and the barn was filled with laughter.

xxxx

Caroline pulled up in front of Kate's house and turned off the engine, she was saddened by the thought of their time together ending but that was nothing compared to the sickening feeling that suddenly flooded her as she followed Kate's troubled gaze through the window.

Slumped on Kate's doorstep was a figure that Caroline had only seen on one other occasion, over two years ago now, but which was burned into her brain. She had called the image of his face to mind countless times, torturing herself with thoughts of him and Kate together.

"Greg." Kate sighed deeply. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"You didn't know he was coming?" Caroline asked more calmly than she felt.

"No!" Kate snapped a little. "He hasn't been in touch in months, I told him not to contact me again."

Kate slipped off her belt and made to get out of the car, Caroline followed her lead, Kate moving around to the back seat to her daughter and setting about unclipping the car seat and removing Mya from the seat. Caroline came to her side, expecting to be given the car seat to carry but finding herself having Mya slipped into her arms.

The little girl looked around before smiling up at Caroline, and for a moment the stress of the situation completely left her and Caroline was filled with the fierce feeling that she would make everything alright, that she would protect Kate and this little girl, no matter what and that everything would be fine.

Greg had jumped up from his seat as he saw Kate and he came over to the car now.

"Kate...I've been waiting for you..."

"I can see that." Kate said coldly.

"I need to talk to you...about Mya." He said.

"We don't have anything else to talk about." Kate told him as she swept past him to the front door and took out her keys.

He picked up the car seat from where she had placed it by the door as if he meant to help her inside and Kate ripped it out of his hands.

"Leave us alone." Kate said through gritted teeth.

Greg frowned and looked back now to where Caroline had hung back, Mya on her hip now, fingering the necklace Caroline wore, seemingly oblivious to the appearance of Greg.

"You?" He said, glancing back at Kate. "I thought she was long gone." He sniped.

"Well as you can see, she isn't." Kate said firmly.

"Really? not gone back to her husband and her big house? Or has she got bored of that again and thinks she'll have another dabble." Greg shook his head. "You are not seriously letting her back into your life again Kate? Not after the way she treated you?"

"It's not really any of your business Greg is it?" Kate said impatiently. "Now, I'd like you to leave."

Kate stood barring the entrance to her house and for a moment Caroline wondered if the idiot was going to try and push his way inside.

"I think you better do as she says." Caroline backed her up.

Greg swung around and glared at Caroline. "I'll be back." He promised as he stormed past her and away from the house.

Xxx

_A/N- Thank you all for the reviews and support. Back soon xx_


	5. Chapter 5

In any event 5

_A/N- Another quick update as my wife is busy with a dressmaking project and I have been pretty much left to my own devices._

Caroline was dragged out of her research by the sound of hammering on the front door, as she rose to answer it she was careful not to topple any of the pile's of printouts that covered the large desk.

"Kate?" Caroline said, blinking into the strong sunlight as she emerged from her low lit study. She removed her glasses and passed her hand over her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Kate pushed into the house, her face thunderous. "What's wrong? Caroline! I have been ringing you all day! I rang school and Beverly said you called in sick! You! She told me that she has never known you not to come in on a Monday morning, sick or not."

"She's making a fuss." Caroline dismissed with the wave of a hand. "I'm fine, I just wanted to take some time, I didn't have much on today, I am sure they will struggle through without me."

"Right. So why haven't you been answering my calls?" Kate demanded, her hands on her hips.

"I was busy, reading, I left my phone upstairs." Caroline explained. "I am sorry if I worried you, nothings happened has it?"

Caroline felt tiredness suddenly overwhelm her and she slunk back into the chair in the study, Kate following her into the small room.

"Where's Mya?" Caroline asked frowning deeply.

"With my mother. What is all this?" Kate asked, her anger and concern not completely leaving her yet.

"It's some reading, family law stuff." Caroline admitted, folding her arms around herself and squaring her shoulders.

"This is what you have been doing? Reading up on family law?" Kate asked aghast.

"I know you probably think it's not my place, that I shouldn't get involved." Caroline said. "I just wanted to find out exactly what we...what you are going to be dealing with, so that I can give you good advice, if you ask for it." She explained.

Kate nodded in understanding and stepped closer to Caroline's chair, bending to take Caroline's hand.

"Thank you." She said with a small smile. "I am sorry to come barging in... I just thought..."

"What?" Caroline asked, suddenly curious.

"I thought maybe... the stuff with Greg...Mya...maybe we had scared you away." Kate tried to shrug it off.

"What happened to trusting me?" Caroline asked.

Kate sighed and pushed her way onto Caroline's lap in what was the only chair in the room.

"Sorry." Kate offered, kissing first Caroline's head and then as the blonde woman looked up to her, her lips. "I do, I will."

Caroline wrapped her arms loosely around Kate's waist to keep her from slipping off her seat and even more to keep her close.

"So what did you find out with all your research?" Kate asked.

Caroline let her head fall against Kate's chest with a sigh. "That unless we figure out how to build a time machine, we're screwed."

Kate sighed. "It isn't that bad is it?"

"It's as bad as it can be. I take it you didn't make a formal written agreement with Gregg two years ago? Didn't get him to sign anything? Get advise from a solicitor?"

Kate shrugged. "You know I didn't. It was a verbal agreement, between friends." Kate insisted.

"Well, even the written agreement would have been worth very little if we end up in court." Caroline admitted. "If only we had used a clinic and an anonymous donor. Or even if we had been civil partners at the time, things would be different. Why didn't I find out all this back then?" Caroline said hopelessly.

"Because you didn't want to think about it?" Kate said, sounding a little accusatory, feeling defensive and tensing in Caroline's arms. "You had other things going on and I thought we could trust Greg." Kate added more reasonably, she didn't want to fight.

"I do love you Kate but I think it's clear that you're a terrible judge of character, particularly when it comes to men, remember Michael Dobson was your friend and now this jerk." Caroline said irritably.

Kate got up from Caroline's lap and began to pace a small path back and forth in front of her, her temper rising even as she tried to fight it. "Unbelievable." She muttered to herself.

Caroline could see she had said the wrong thing and she tried not to panic as she watched and waited.

"Do you know that was the first time you have ever said that you love me?" Kate said stopping in her tracks and looking directly at a confused Caroline. "And in the same breath you massively insult me." Kate was shaking her head.

Caroline stood. "It can't have been, I've told you before, surely?"

"No." Kate said, looking at her feet and then back into Caroline's bewildered face. "You never did. Not once. There were times when I thought you were about to... But it was always...I'm fond of you...I care about you."

"I told you that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you!" Caroline reminded.

"You did. It was incredible...but you never actually said, because I love you." Kate said, holding back tears, her voice trembling as were the hands that Caroline took in her own.

"I felt it. You knew that. I should have said... I loved you, I do love you, I never stopped loving you." Caroline said definitely, opening her arms just as Kate fell into them.

"I love you." Kate mumbled against Caroline's neck and although Caroline had known that to be the the case, she suddenly realised that hearing the words was something else, something wonderful, something she had needed and she had denied Kate that for so long.

Caroline pulled her head back to look at Kate and was surprised to find, when Kate reached up with her thumb to wipe away a tear, that she was the one crying now. Kate pulled her back in for a tender kiss and then suddenly Kate was pulling at Caroline's top, their lips still pressed together and her own hands fumbling with the waistband of Kate's trousers, untucking her blouse and letting herself in.

Caroline began to walk the pair back towards the wall and as their kiss finally broke apart, she found she was almost panting for air. Her hand reached up to stroke Kate's cheek with the back of her fingers whilst her other hand roamed beneath her shirt, landing upon the material of Kate's bra and squeezing the cup gently.

"God, I love you!" Caroline said as she pinned Kate to the wall, her leg sliding between both of Kate's and her thigh pressing upward against her. "I love you." Caroline whispered, her breath tickling the skin behind Kate's ear and making her feel quite giddy. "I love you Kate and now I don't think I can stop saying it."

"I think I can learn to live with that." Kate told her with a chuckle as their lips met again.

Xxxx

Caroline was sat in Kate's living room as the woman she had spent the afternoon in bed with busied herself in the kitchen with making cups of tea.

"You used to be Kate's boss." Kate's mum said.

"Yes that's right." Caroline said with her most cheerful smile. She sat up straight, her knees and heels pressed together, hands together in her lap, very prim.

"I remember." The older woman remarked, not giving much away.

If she remembered Kate speaking about Caroline, about what had happened between them, about their plans for a future together, she didn't mention it. And Caroline wondered what else she might have known, had she received tearful phonecalls? Had she held her daughter as she cried herself to sleep?

Kate's mother was quiet and turned her attention back to her Granddaughter, who was imitating her Mother by pouring her own cups of tea with her pink plastic tea set.

"Tea!" She called to her Grandmother as she held out an empty cup in her direction.

"Oh thank you Mya." Kate's mum said, raising the drink to her lips and pretending to drain the little cup. "Delicious!"

Mya's face lit up with a smile and she took back the cup and went back to her game.

"Has she been okay mum? I was a little longer than I thought I'd be." Kate said popping her head back into the room and sharing a secret smile with Caroline.

"Of course, and why would she not be with her own Grandmother?" Kate's mum replied.

Mya was heading over to Caroline now, trying to balance a pretty cup on a plastic saucer and concentrating so intently on keeping the cup in place that she didn't see the ragdoll in her path and the next moment was tumbling heavily onto her knees.

Caroline was the first to reach her and she scooped the child up quickly into her arms as Mya screamed loudly. Caroline rubbed soothing circles on Mya's back as the little girl wrapped her chubby little arms around Caroline's neck and sobbed into neck.

"Oh dear! My poor darling!" Caroline cooed as both Kate and her mother watched with similar expressions of concern. "What a big brave girl." Caroline continued, jigging Mya up and down slightly until the child's cries began to lessen.

Caroline returned to her seat now and sat a pink faced Mya on her knee."Good girl." Caroline said as she rubbed her hand over each knee in turn. "All better?"

Mya's bottom lip protruded exaggeratedly and she looked up from beneath her pitifully set brow, then as quickly as the incident had beset her, it was forgotten and she hopped off Caroline's knee.

"Tea!" She called happily to Caroline.

Xxx

_A/N- Thank you for reading and for feedback. xx_


	6. Chapter 6

**In Any Event. 6**

_**A/N- This chapter sees us jump forward a couple of months.**_

Caroline rolled the small tights up her fingers and spread them wide at the bottom, making it as easy as possible for Mya to pop her foot inside, there was a modest amount of wobbling, but they managed to get her into the thick pink tights, the waistband pulled up high over her childish, slightly pot -belly.

"Okay princess." Caroline asked. "Shall we put on your pretty dress?"

Mya nodded and hopped from one foot to the other excitedly, even at this age she enjoyed dressing up and seemed to be showing her preference for all things pink and girly, no matter how Kate had tried to encourage her interest in toys and games regardless of gender stereotypes.

Caroline secretly enjoyed the girlishness as it was in such contrast to her experience with the boys with their cars and their guns, though William had always had a slightly more sensitive and creative side. Still, being able to enjoy Mya and her small triumphs in development over the last couple of months had been both, wonderful in its own right and had also found Caroline being reminded of a time when the boys had been this small, moments and anecdotes from those days resurfacing and giving Caroline the chance to share them with Kate and to enjoy them all over again herself.

Laurence had actually been really good with Mya from day one of him coming home to find her surrounded by her paraphernalia in the sitting room and Caroline had watched him form his own bond with the little girl, enjoying pulling stupid faces that made her collapse into fits of giggles and showing her how best to catch the fluffy soft rugby ball he had bought for her.

Caroline slipped the dress over Mya's head and pulled the neck down to reveal her face.

"Boo!" She said, crouching before Mya and helping her now to negotiate the short sleeves.

"Wow!" Caroline gasped, clasping her hands together. "You look spectacular!"

Mya grinned and spread her arms out as she ran in a little circle to show herself off to best effect.

"Oh my goodness!" Caroline said, standing and offering a hand out to the girl who looked like a little replica of the woman she loved but was so very much her own little lady.

"Shall we go and show mummy?" Caroline asked.

"Yes!" Mya nodded, grasping Caroline's fingers and tugging her out of the spare room, the room that had quickly filled with several of Mya's belongings over the last few weeks and which Caroline had to confess to renaming, if only in her own mind, Mya's room.

Kate came to the bottom of the steps as she heard the slow thud , thud of her daughter negotiating the stairs, with Caroline's hand still tightly held in her own.

"Oh, you look beautiful!" Kate said as she waited at the bottom. "Both of you." She said to Caroline with a wink.

"Did you go to the toilet and brush your teeth?" Kate asked seriously.

"Of Course!" Caroline informed as Mya nodded beside her in agreement.

"Good girls." Kate grinned, bending to tickle Mya in her side as she reached the foot of the stairs.

Caroline looked at her watch and sighed. "I suppose it's time?" She asked.

Kate straightened and brushed Caroline's cheek with her fingertips, kissing her lightly on the lips. "It is." She whispered regretfully. "Come on Mya, let's put on your shoes and coat!" Kate announced, trying to sound more cheery than she felt as she knelt and slipped on the patent pumps.

Caroline moved around Kate and took Mya's warm jacket from the hook and stooped to help her into it as Kate reached for her own coat.

"Now you be a good girl and take care of mummy for me and I will see you at dinner time." Caroline told Mya.

"Mya cook!" Mya called out definitively.

"Yes." Caroline said. "You can help me cook dinner, good idea!"

Mya toddled to the front door and Caroline was left looking into Kate's gaze of concern.

"We won't be long." Kate assured softly, reassuring herself as much as Caroline..

"I know." Caroline nodded. "Its...fine. Well, it isn't but..."

Kate kissed her once more and ran a hand down her arm. "See you soon." She smiled and made her way to the front door.

Caroline watched as Kate piled Mya into the car and strapped her into her carseat and then made her way around to the drivers side. Caroline held her arms around herself to ward off the cold but shivered anyway and wished she had put on her own jacket. The car started and Kate fully opened the window so she could see Caroline for a moment longer.

Caroline waved her fingers at Mya in the back and then turned to Kat and frowned suddenly, she stepped toward the car and put her hand on the drivers door.

"No." She said. "No way." She opened the door. "I'll take her." Caroline told Kate determinedly.

Kate looked surprised but not annoyed. "What? I thought..."

"No. He wants to see her and we can't do anything about that right now, supervised access, fine. But that doesn't mean that he gets you both. If we are right and he is doing this to get to you, then we are giving him what he wants. If I take her and his interest really does lie with Mya then that's fine, it's just something we have to learn to live with, but if he realises that he cannot use Mya as a way to get to you, then he might just let this drop all together. It's worth a try isn't it? I mean if you think Mya would be happy with my taking her? If...if its alright with you?" Caroline asked anxiously.

Kate considered Caroline's words, chewing her bottom lip, then released her seatbelt and nodded.

"Are you sure you can handle being in the same room as the "little shit" for a full hour?" Kate smiled as she made the quotation sign, having slipped out of the car now and standing close to Caroline, putting a hand to her waist.

"I will be both pleasant and charming for Mya's sake, I promise." Caroline said as she hopped into the driving seat.

Kate took off her Jacket and passed it to Caroline who slipped it on gratefully. It didn't fit exactly but it felt good to be going into enemy territory with something of Kate with her and Caroline smiled as she caught the scent of her lover on the garment.

Caroline closed the door and was speaking to Mya, letting her in on their change of plan as Kate moved to wave at her daughter through the window.

"See you later." Kate called as Caroline drove them out to the street.

Xxxx

Caroline made it through the door and dropped their belongings in a heap, kicking off her shoes carefully. As Kate appeared in the hallway Caroline put her finger up in front of her lips making a shhhh sound, as if Kate wouldn't have guessed by the way that Mya lay draped over Caroline's shoulder, like a sack of spuds, that the little one was fast asleep.

"Do you want me to put her down?" Kate asked, enjoying the adorable sight of Caroline holding her sleepy tot.

"No, its alright, She's comfortable where she is." Caroline assured.

Kate raised one eyebrow. "Oh, I am sure she is." She muttered as she followed Caroline into the sitting room and watched her carefully lower herself onto the sofa without disturbing her passenger. Caroline repositioned Mya gently now so that she cradled the little girl in her arms as one would a new born.

"You tired her out then." Kate observed quietly.

"Yes. We were at some lights on the way back and she spotted a playground. She kept calling swings! Until I had to stop, she had been stuck in a room for an hour, poor thing and she was so good." Caroline justified, her face was turned on Mya while she spoke and when she finally turned to Kate she found an amused but knowing expression.

"You can't carry on like this." Kate said, but seeing sudden fear spring to her girlfriends eye's, she continued. "You can't keep spoiling her if you are going to be a regular part of her life. She has you wrapped around her finger already, she's going to be a nightmare."

"I'm allowed to spoil her." Caroline said defensively. "I feel like..." She was shaking her head and watching Mya again. "I've missed so much."

Kate took Caroline's fingers and laced them in her own bringing the back of the blonde's hand to her mouth and dropping a kiss there.

"Today when I was watching you leave...I just thought..." Caroline broke off as the words stuck in her throat and she wondered if she could keep them inside.

"What?" Kate coaxed patiently.

"I thought...She should have been ours." Caroline said, her eye's filling to the brim with long unshed tears.

"She still could be!" Kate said quickly, brushing the hair from the side of Caroline's face so she could hide behind it no longer.

Kate snuggled into the side of Caroline, pulling the arm she held onto around her, so that the three of them sat now on one seat of the sofa, in peace.

Xxxx

_**A/N- Thanks for reading folks. More soon. xx**_


	7. Chapter 7

In Any Event 7.

"Where are they?" Celia asked looking down into Mya's big dark eyes. "Where have they gone Mya?" She asked, taking Mya's little hand and leading her through the bungalow into the hallway and to the foot of the stairs. The older woman looked around her as she went. "Not here!" She said loudly.

Mya put a hand up, palm facing the sky. "Gone!" She said.

The pair turned around and headed back to the lounge.

"They must be around here somewhere!" Celia said dramatically, pretending not to hear the giggle coming from across the room and the twitching of a large bump in her long curtains.

Celia knelt onto the couch and leaned over to check behind it. "Not behind here."

"Raaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Calamity jumped from behind the curtain, roaring and holding her hands up like claws.

Celia clutched at her chest and collapsed into the couch. "Oh my! good grief!"

Mya had jumped at the sudden appearance, an uncertain look on her face and now she backed into Celia legs. Celia moved forward and put an arm around Mya.

"Don't worry sweetheart." Celia whispered into the little ones ear. "It's just our Calamity being daft. You can see who's going to grow up to be the farm hand in this family." She teased, rubbing Mya's shoulder in reassurance.

Calamity was laughing loudly and skipped back to the curtains, pulling them aside to reveal Alan standing there looking sheepish.

"Grandad!" Calamity announced happily, as if she had produced him herself. "Found you!"

Mya had regained a little of her confidence now and she ran over to Alan taking his hand and helping Calamity in pulling him out from his hiding place.

Kate had come to lean in the doorway and watch the game with delight. How ironic that the moment her daughter had met Caroline's mother she had taken to her instantly. It reminded Kate of how cat's seemed to always go and sit in the lap of the only person in the room that didn't like cats. Not that Celia had been upset by the little girls sudden attentions, she had seemed quite happy to have Mya's little arm wrapped around her leg as she stood talking or have her sitting beside her at Caroline's house.

So when Caroline had told Kate that Celia had invited them for dinner Kate had replied.

"Ha! You mean she has invited you and Mya and she'll put up with me."

Caroline appeared behind Kate now and wrapped one arm slowly around her waist, holding Kate's back against her and dropping a kiss on the shoulder that was bared by her slouch top.

Celia had turned at hearing Caroline's arrival and smiled at the sight of her easy demonstration of affection. They had come such a long way from that excruciating dinner, where Celia had flinched away, repulsed at Kate touching Caroline's hand.

Alan sat beside his wife on the couch and let his hand find hers, while Calamity grabbed at Mya's hand and shouted.

"Hide My!" Pulling them both quickly behind the same curtain she had come from moments ago.

Alan took the chance in the brief respite, as the two girls tried to quiet their giggles, to kiss Celia's cheek and flash her a wink, before he was up again and off in search of the girls, passing Caroline and Kate in the doorway and wandering into the hall calling.

"Mya! Emily Jane! Where are you?!"

Kate watched as the process was repeated and as Alan returned to the lounge looking around him the two girls burst from their hiding place.

"Raaaaaahhhhhh!" They yelled together.

Then Mya broke ranks and ran over to Celia, pouncing into her lap and giggling loudly.

Kate backed into Caroline a little more and out of the lounge, leaving the happy occupants to it.

"We'll check on dinner." She called to no one in particular, pulling Caroline away from the door toward the kitchen but pausing to lean into her blonde for a slow kiss.

The door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Caroline called as she passed the lounge to get the door, Kate making her way back into the kitchen.

Caroline opened the door to find Gillian taking her wellies off on the doorstep. "Hiya!"

Gillian smiled. "Alright? Give us hand will you?"

Caroline reached her hand out, steadying Gillian's arm as she balanced on one leg and pulled at her second wellie.

"Thanks." She said as it came off suddenly and sent her wobbling over, stopped by Caroline's arm.

Gillian reached up and gave Caroline an unexpected hug, squeezing her firmly.

Caroline looked a little surprised but grinned at her step sister. "Any time."

"Grandma!" A voice called from behind Caroline.

Xxx

Caroline had poured Gillian a glass of wine and the three women now sat in the kitchen watching through the patio doors as Alan supervised Calamity's attempts to water Celia's new rose bush. Mya sticking close to Celia as ever.

"So what did he think when you showed up?" Gillian asked.

"He wasn't delighted." Caroline said. "But there isn't a thing he can do about it. He doesn't really know quite what to do with Mya yet. I think he feels more than a little awkward and she spends most of the time bringing things over to me to play. I suppose that's better for me, at this stage she knows me better but...I don't know how I'd feel if she was excited to see him or calling him Daddy!" Caroline said with trepidation.

Kate offering her support with a quite arm that wrapped around her shoulders and a quick kiss to the temple.

Gillian made a face. "Yeah, that would be shit. Do you think it'll come to that? Do you think he's going to stick around?"

Caroline shrugged with a sigh. "Who knows? Plus I've only myself to blame really."

"Hey!" Kate admonished. Planting a kiss on Caroline's nose, lacing their fingers together and staring down the pouting blonde, causing Gillian to laugh at the timidity that Kate brought out in the feisty headmistress.

"What about you?" Kate turned her attention to Gillian. "Anything happening on the love life front?"

"Me! No, complete disaster area as usual." Gillian said lightly. "Suppose I should get myself on Facebook or a dating website... or young grannies r us."

Kate gave her a sympathetic look that had her knocking back the rest of her drink and changing the subject.

"Oh look at them." Gillian said suddenly as she glanced out to the garden. Her Dad and Celia were arm in arm with a little girl each, hanging off their other hand. "They're so cute." She said stepping over to the double doors and popping them open so she could go out and join them.

"They're adorable, your Mum and Alan." Kate announced. "They really make you believe in destiny, don't they?"

Caroline wrapped her arms around Kate and kissed her carefully. "I believe in destiny." She agreed with a grin.

xxx

Kate was just coming out of the bathroom when she met Celia who was popping back into the kitchen. Celia smiled genuinely and Kate felt a little uncertain as she smiled back.

"Kate." Celia said, halting Kate's escape back to the sitting room. "I am glad you came today. Mya is such a darling girl." Celia complimented.

Kate nodded. "Thanks for having us. She's had a great time." Kate replied, moving to the door.

Celia put a hand out to Kate's arm. "I know I've had my reservations...in the past, about you and Caroline...but well, I can see that she's happy and I do hope the pair of you can make it stick this time around."

"I wouldn't have gotten involved with her again if I didn't believe that we could." Kate said seriously. "Not now that I have Mya to consider."

"Oh I know love...I always said it would be nice if she had a daughter, not that I ever had a son but...well it can't be the same as having a girl can it?" Celia said. "Children should have little siblings around though shouldn't they? it was a shame Caroline was on her own growing up, but well, I wasn't exactly in a rush to get back into bed with Kenneth once I knew what he was up to and I did have to think about what would happen if he left, I couldn't have afforded to keep two children on my own."

Kate nodded along wondering what Celia was getting at.

"Still, you wouldn't have to worry about that, if you had another, would you?" Celia asked.

"I...don't...suppose...I hadn't really thought...about... Thank you for dinner Celia it was delicious." Kate said, feeling quite flustered and needing to get away.

Xxxx

_**A/N- Thanks for reading. Not much left of this one now, one or two more chapters. x**_


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